Labour Day is the traditional planting weekend in New Zealand but this year it was a bit wet and mucky so today’s been the day that we’ve followed in the footsteps of Monty Don, Alan Titchmarsh, Percy Thrower and dare I say it Geoff Hamilton.

OK, I’m not really following their footsteps but they are my vegetable growing inspiration. They wouldn’t have nipped to the garden centre for their plants they’d probably have grown them from seed.  I however am still a novice, and a busy Domestic Executive gardening novice I’d like to add.

This year is the year of experimentation.  How will our vegetables grow.  And more importantly how will I cope with the responsibility of tending to our future food source.  Since we’re a week late already it’s a worry whether we’ll have any vegetables from our garden for Christmas.  But there again, I’ll just be pleased if they grow at all.  Don’t get eaten by the slugs and snails or worse still the rabbits dug under the fence and scoff the lot.

Looking positively today I planted out:peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, tomatoes, herbs (parsley, sage, thyme, coriander, basil, tarragon) lettuces, beetroots, red cabbages and fennel.  A veritable feast.  Or it will be if you all wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed.

So how did the planting go given the photo on the top of this post you might be wondering?

Here we go.  Little basset finally lost interest and moved on for a lie down

Fortnum was already taking it easy!

Oh decisions, decisions.  Where should I plant them all?

As you can see the bassets weren’t much help.  They were enjoying the non lawn!

But to work I did and here’s the result

And because we like to keep things real here at Domestic Executive HQ.  Here’s the true result complete with my trusty wheelbarrow in shot!

Now all I need is for the new grass to grow so I can cut the old grass and make my vegetable proud of it’s surroundings!